The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has accepted the nomination of Mr. Kissi Agyebeng as the Special Prosecutor.
This was made known in a statement issued by the presidency today, Thursday, May 6, 2021.
The statement signed by the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Mr. Eugene Arhin, said a letter has been sent to the Speaker of Parliament to that effect to seek parliamentary approval in accordance with law.
“It will be recalled that President Akufo-Addo accepted the resignation from office of Mr. Martin Amidu as Special Prosecutor on November 16, 2020, and in accordance with section 13 (8) of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959), is required to appoint a replacement within six months of the position becoming vacant.”
“To this end, the Attorney General, Mr. Godfred Yeboah Dame, on 16th April 2021, nominated Mr. Kissi Agyebeng, under section 13 (3) of Act 959, to the President for consideration as the second occupant of the Office of the Special Prosecutor,” the statement added.
The Presidency in the statement said it “is hopeful that Parliament will expedite the confirmation process of Mr. Kissi Agyebeng, so he can assume the position without delay.”
About Kissi Agyebeng’s nomination
The Attorney-General, Mr. Godfred Yeboah Dame, nominated the law lecturer and private legal practitioner as the replacement for Martin Amidu, who resigned from the position in November 2020.
Section 13 (8) of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959) requires the President to appoint a person qualified for appointment as Special Prosecutor within six months of the Office becoming vacant.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor has the mandate to investigate and prosecute all suspected corruption and corruption-related offences as pertaining to public officers, politically exposed persons and persons in the private sector alleged to have been involved in any corruption and corruption-related offences.
Apart from initiating investigations on its own, Act 959 gives the Office of the Special Prosecutor the power to receive and investigate complaints of alleged corruption from the public or investigate suspected corruption or corruption-related offences upon referral from public bodies such as the Attorney General’s Department, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
Kissi Agyebeng was called to the Ghana Bar in October 2003 and holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the University of Ghana, as well as Master of Laws (LLM) degrees from Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University, Canada and Cornell Law School, USA.
He has, since 2006, been teaching Criminal Law at the University of Ghana, whilst engaging in private law practice.
